Government Defends Its Response To Guatemala’s Border Provocation

Belize is rejecting claims that it has backed down on the Sarstoon, following the latest military confrontation with Guatemala. Foreign Affairs Minister Francis Fonseca says Belize took the matter directly to Guatemala’s president, condemned the November seventh incident and attempted to reach the country’s defense minister. Responding to Opposition Leader Tracy Panton, Fonseca insists Belize has not surrendered an inch of the Sarstoon.

 

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs

“There is this suggestion out there which we should all be united in rejecting, which is somehow the Sarstoon has been lost. No, the reality is and the facts are that the BDF, the Coast Guard, do regular patrols of the Sarstoon. The BDF from the Forward Operating Base we have on Sarstoon Island, there are regular trips and patrols on the island and in the area. So, we continue to have a very strong presence in our territorial waters. So, there should be no question about that. And very importantly the Forward Operating Base was reinforced immediately by additional BDF/Coast Guard vessels, went to reinforce our presence eon the island. The government we have all made it clear that we condemn these acts of deliberate aggressions, repeated aggression, repeated provocation. We obviously condemn in the strongest possible terms the incursion into Belizean territorial waters.”

 

Minister Fonesca also explained that Belize has constantly engaged its diplomatic allies on the issue, while continuously building a strong case ahead of the ICJ hearing  set for 2027.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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